FORMULA 1
 News just broke to say that Andreas Seidl will be leaving McLaren for Alfa Romeo (Sauber Group) in January 2023, and the team have got his replacement in with immediate effect.
Andrea Stella has been appointed Team Principle for McLaren and will start straight away. Stella was the Executive Director and has been a "Key Member" of the Woking based team since 2015. He has a wealth of experience within Formula 1 starting his career with a 15 year stint for Ferrari. He was a Performance Engineer for Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen, then race engineer for Kimi and Alonso. He then left the team to Join McLaren in 2015. Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said:“I’m delighted that Andrea Stella will step into the Team Principal role and lead our F1 technical and operational programme. Andrea is a highly talented, experienced and respected member of our team with a strong track record of leadership and success in Formula 1. His move into this role is a great example of the strength in depth we have in our team, and I’m excited to be working more closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races. “I’ve really enjoyed working with Andreas. He has provided great leadership for the team and has played a significant part in our F1 performance recovery plan and ongoing journey to return to the front of the grid. I thank him for the transparency throughout the process which gave us time to plan accordingly.” Andrea Stella, new F1 Team Principal, McLaren Racing, said:“I feel privileged to take on the Team Principal role as the next stage of being part of the McLaren F1 Team. I am grateful to Zak and the Shareholders for their trust in me and to all my colleagues and those who have supported me throughout my F1 career. We are realistic about the amount of work ahead of us to move back up the grid, but I am excited and encouraged that I am in this journey together with a team full of talent, experience, racing spirit and dedication. I look forward to working closely with each of them, Lando and Oscar, to together achieving great success and enjoying the journey.” Andreas Seidl, former F1 Team Principal, McLaren Racing, said:“I joined McLaren in 2019 and have really enjoyed working with Zak and the team. We have achieved some good results, and I will always have fond memories, with Monza being a personal and career highlight. The team is on a great trajectory, and I would like to thank everyone for their support, trust and commitment. Thanks to Zak and the shareholders for their understanding of my personal decision to move on to another challenge. I wish Andrea and the team all the best for the future.” Seidl also had this to say about his move to Sauber: Andreas Seidl, CEO of Sauber Group: “It is great to join the Sauber Group from January: this is a team with a rich history in Formula One and an organisation I know really well from my time working and living in Hinwil for four years. I can’t wait to join the team and work with all the colleagues at the Sauber Group on the ambitious goals we have set together. I want to thank Finn Rausing and everyone at the Sauber Group for their choice: I am looking forward to repaying their trust with my work.” Finn Rausing, Sauber Holding AG Chairman of the Board of Directors: “It is an immense pleasure to welcome Andreas Seidl back to Hinwil as CEO of the Sauber Group. Andreas’s experience is second to none and he brings to Sauber Group a clear understanding of what is required to achieve sustained success. He takes over a company on an upward path and he shares our commitment to keeping our organisation growing: I look forward to many years of success together.”
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 Following todays news regarding Alfa Romeo's principle Fred Vasseur, who will be leaving the Hinwil based team for Ferrari on the 9th January 23, speculation has begun about Andreas Seidl making the move to replace him.
Motorsport.com have reported that Seidl is set to replace Vasseur as he has ties with the VW Group through which Audi will be taking over Sauber in 2026. Seidl previously headed up Porsche's LMP1 programme, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans on three occasions before returning to F1 with McLaren. McLaren haven't made any comments about this speculation as of yet but with the news that has hit the Formula 1 world this week, you would think that confirmations will be due soon. Possibly this could make way for Jost Capito, outgoing Williams Team principle, to join McLaren for the 2023 season. Sauber's partnership with Alfa Romeo will be coming to an end following the end of the 2023 season ahead of Audi pairing. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or via our social media pages.  McLaren F1 team have announced the 2021 NTT INDYCAR Series Champion Alex Palou as one of their reserve drivers for 2023.
Alex Palou will be attending most F1 races in 2023, all bar those that clash with his commitments to racing in the INDYCAR Series with team Ganassi. The Spaniard has already completed a free practice session in the MCL36 at Austin, and driven the previous year's car in Barcelona and Spielberg as part of the Driver Development Testing Program. Palou currently has 4 wins and 15 podiums within the INDYCAR Series and became the first Spanish driver to win the NTT INDYCAR Series Championship in 2021, a year after starting within the championship. Alex Palou, said: “I’m excited to be part of the McLaren team as one of their reserve drivers in 2023. I’ve been behind the wheel of both the MCL35M and MCL36 and it has been a great experience, so I can’t wait for the involvement with next year’s car. I look forward to continuing my development as a driver and I appreciate the trust McLaren have in me with this new role next year.” Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team, said: “The team are pleased to have Alex on board as one of our reserve drivers for next season. He impressed with his FP1 session in Austin and his driver development tests this year. He has many notable motorsports achievements so far, particularly the 2021 INDYCAR championship title so it’s brilliant to be able to expand his role in the team and we look forward to working more closely with him.” |
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